TEACHER STUDY GUIDE - Pittsburgh Musical Theater

1 TEACHER STUDYGUIDEI. HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDEA. The is a Musical ?C. Background of Disney s beauty and the OF THE STORYA. Plot Structure Setting Complication ForeshadowingB. Theme Relationships Irony SymbolismC. Characterization Mood Dialogue Point of OF PRODUCTIONA. AudienceB. PerformersC. Music and SoundD. Costumes and Wigs, Make-up and , Lighting and Special , The Collaborative Preshow Preparatory AssignmentsB. A Real Yarn!C. Snow White and The Frog PrinceD. Picture is Where the Heart isG. RoomsH. Exchange CharactersI. Character WalkJ. Where Am I?K. Establishing a WhereL. Radio StoryM. Sound TapeNo Child is fully educated or adequately prepared to live in an increasingly technological world without understanding the meaning and beauty transmitted by the Arts. Getty Trust, Beyond Creating a Place for Art in America s School, I I.

2 HOW TO USE THIS STUDY GUIDE The STUDY GUIDE is a companion piece designed to explore many ideas depicted in the stage production of Disney s beauty and the Beast. Although the GUIDE s intent is to enhance the student s theatrical experience, it can also be used as an introduction to the elements of a play (in this case a Musical play or play with music), and the production elements involved in the play s presentation. Although many students are familiar with the general storyline, this specific stage adaptation presents a wealth of new questions for this generation to answer. The GUIDE has been organized into three major sections: Elements of the story Elements of production Activities Teachers and group leaders will want to select portions of the GUIDE for their specific usage. Discussion questions are meant to provoke a line of thought about a particular topic.

3 The answers to the discussion questions in many instances will initiate the process of exploration and discovery of varied interpretations by everyone involved. This can be as rewarding as the wonderful experience of sight and sound that Disney s beauty and the Beast creates on-stage. It is recommended that the original Broadway cast recording be used in conjunction with discussion of the Musical elements. The lyrics and Musical arrangements aid in discussion of various aspects of the production. A. THE STORY A Prince, living in a shining castle, is disturbed one winter s night by an old beggar woman, who comes to his castle and offers him a single rose, in return for shelter from the bitter cold. He is repulsed by her appearance and turns the old woman away. The old woman s ugliness melts away to reveal a beautiful enchantress.

4 Though the Prince is apologetic when he sees her beauty , the Enchantress turns the cruel, unfeeling Prince into a hideous Beast. His stubborn pride compels him to remain in his bewitched castle with Lumiere, the lovestruck candelabra, Cogsworth, the pompous clock, the kindly Mrs. Potts and an inquisitive teacup named Chip. To break the spell, the Beast must learn to love another and earn their love in return, before the last petal falls from the Enchanted Rose. If not, he will be doomed to remain a Beast for all time. Belle is a beautiful and intelligent young woman who lives with her father, Maurice, in a small village. When her father is imprisoned by the Beast, Belle offers herself to the Beast in return for releasing her father from his prisoner s cell in the Beast s castle.

5 The Beast accepts Belle s offer to exchange places. Later in the story, the Beast falls in love with Belle, but is afraid to tell her. He offers instead his Magic Mirror and her freedom to rejoin her father in the village. Belle unknowingly betrays the Beast to Gaston, who leads a frenzied mob to destroy the Beast. At the castle, the Enchanted Objects repel the mob, but Gaston manages to stab the Beast in the back. Gaston is thrown to his death. The Beast, dying from his wounds, tells the weeping Belle that he is happy that he got to see her one last time. Belle tells him that she loves him. The last petal on the Enchanted Rose falls. A magical transformation changes the Beast into the Prince once again. The spell has been broken! All the servants are also now human again, and beauty with her Beast, who is now a handsome Prince, live happily ever after.

6 B. WHAT IS A Musical ? A Musical is the presentation of a story using the elements of music, singing, dancing and theatrical production, all presented on a stage in front of a live audience. The Musical has many stage contentions that audiences must accept; for example, the characters talk, then break into song, and the orchestra and conductor may be visible throughout the show. C. BACKGROUND OF DISNEY S beauty AND THE BEAST When Walt Disney Pictures full-length, animated feature film beauty and the Beast was released, critics praised its songs worthy of a Broadway Musical . It was observed that Broadway is as vital to the film s staging and characterizations as it is to the songs themselves. Disney s beauty and the Beast went on to win Academy Awards for Best Song and Best Original Score and made history as the first animated feature ever nomination for a Best Picture Oscar.

7 When the decision was made to actually bring it to the Broadway stage, everyone associated with the production knew it had to be extraordinary. It had to have that special magic that audiences have come to expect from the Walt Disney Company. The creative team crafted a timeless story with roots deep in the classic fairy tale, filled with humor, magic, mystery, romance and suspense. They created a gallery of memorable characters, including enchanted servants who had the misfortune of being caught under the same spell as the Beast. The motherly cook, Mrs. Potts, has been transformed into a teapot; the stuffy head butler, Cogsworth, is a clock, and the faithful (and amorous) valet, Lumiere, is a candelabra. These characters provide comfort and hope for the heroine, Belle, as she adjusts to her new life, torn away from her father as a result of the bargain she made with the Beast.

8 Simply staging a theatrical version of the film would have slighted both media. Disney focused on combining the strengths of the beloved story with the possibilities that only live theatre can offer. The directive: Maintain the essence of the movie, while developing a unique theatrical production. This stage version of beauty and the Beast was produced by Robert W. McTyre for Walt Disney Theatrical Productions. The Oscar -winning score by composer Alan Menken and the late lyricist Howard Ashman was not only expanded by Menken, but lyricist Tim Rice added several new songs for the Broadway version. Author Linda Woolverton adapted her work into this new stage play. Choreographer Matt West then teamed up with costume designer Ann Hould-Ward to come up with a look for the Enchanted objects which would work on stage.

9 Stan Meyer, scenic designer, and Natasha Katz, lighting designer, were challenged to create a unique fairy tale atmosphere for the stage. Director Robert Jess Roth ultimately brought all these elements together with the performers to create the finished piece. II. ELEMENTS OF THE STORY In creating a Musical , the first element is usually the book, or spoken word. The book contains the plot, characters, thoughts, dialogue, placement of songs and dances, and some stage direction. Another element of the Musical is lyrics, the words which carry meaning in a song, and the score, which is the music of the show. Since most theatre begins with the text, or book in this case, let s examine the elements of the text. A. PLOT The plot is the structure of the play.

10 It is the action/events which make up the story. The plot was five parts: Exposition: The presentation of information that the audience needs to enter the play s action. Rising action: Central part of the story during which various problems and complications arise, which cause the characters to take action. Climax: The highest point or turning point in the action, which pits protagonist and antagonist against each other in a final confrontation that settles all their difficulties. Falling action: Contains the action or dialogue necessary to lead the story to a resolution or ending. Resolution: The end of the story in which the problems are solved and the story is finished. Discussion Section: The function of the exposition is to acquaint the audience with the characters in such a way that the audience becomes concerned with what happens to them.